Online Edition
VASCA Magazine Online is the digital companion to the VASCA Magazine. It publishes articles from VASCA Working Group clinicians and patient advocates that were not included in the print editions, alongside new articles written exclusively for the web.
Like the print magazine, articles cover vascular anomalies, genetics, research, treatments and medication, and quality of life — written for patients, caregivers, and non-specialist healthcare professionals. Articles are freely accessible online and available to download as a PDF.
Read the full print editions of the VASCA Magazine — Edition 2 (2024) and Edition 1 (2021)
Klippel-Trenaunay & Sturge-Weber Syndrome: Do these 100-year-old names hold up, now that we know genetic causes? Carine J.M. van der Vleuten, MD, PhD · Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen · April 2025
Vascular anomaly syndromes such as Sturge-Weber syndrome and Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome were first described approximately 100 years ago. Now that many can be characterised genetically, this article asks whether these long-standing eponyms still serve patients and clinicians — and what the shift toward genetic diagnosis means for classification and treatment.
Prenatal Diagnosis of Lymphatic Malformations Paolo Gasparella, MD PhD & Emir Q. Haxhjia, MD PhD · Medical University of Graz · March 2026
Recent advances in prenatal diagnosis have enabled the in utero identification of lymphatic malformations. Depending on their size and location, LMs can cause serious complications — timely referral to a specialised multidisciplinary centre allows for better planning of delivery and postnatal care.
Kaposiform Hemangioendothelioma Maria do Bom-Sucesso, MD · Pediatric Oncology Department and Multidisciplinary Vascular Anomaly Team, Centro Hospitalar Universitário São João, Porto · March 2026
Kaposiform hemangioendothelioma (KHE) is a rare, locally aggressive vascular tumour, typically appearing in infancy or early childhood. The most serious complication is the Kasabach-Merritt phenomenon, a life-threatening coagulopathy. This article covers diagnosis, management, and the growing evidence for sirolimus as first-line therapy.
A Collaborative Study on PHTS and Vascular Malformations Prof. Leo Schultze Kool, MD, PhD · Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen · March 2026
Vascular anomalies occur in 30–50% of patients with PTEN Hamartoma Tumour Syndrome (PHTS), yet their natural history and response to treatment remain poorly understood. This article describes an international multicentre consortium — spanning Philadelphia, Boston, Calgary, Nijmegen, Brussels and Madrid — formed to characterise the vascular anomaly phenotype in PHTS patients and develop new therapeutic approaches.
Articles coming soon.